352 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r April 20, 18S8. 
Having explained the matter I will now briefly sum up the con¬ 
ditions necessary to successfully enthroning any virgin queen. 
First the hive must have been queenless twenty-four hours, not for 
more than seven days unless the bees are without the means of 
raising a successor, in which case there is no limit. Secondly, the 
queen must be dropped in alone after dark from the top of the hive, 
unless she has only just hatched and not been amongst any bees, 
when the daytime will do. Thirdly, no introducing cage of any 
description must be used on any account. The value of the know¬ 
ledge here imparted may be somewhat conceived when we consider 
what a multitude of virgin queens are yearly destroyed all because 
it has been considered impossible to enthrone them after they had 
travelled a short distance. Last summer I sent them by post to the 
farthest parts of the country often without any previous notice to 
the recipients, and they were successfully enthroned by following 
the short instructions I sent with them. Then, again, supposing a 
person is queen-breeding, and he wants all his neigh^bours to only fly 
■one particular kind of drone. All he has to do, after getting permis¬ 
sion, is to leave as many postcards addressed with the owners as 
there are stocks, to be notified the day they swarm, and any night 
during the week take the required number of virgin queens 
and drop them in. Stocks treated so forty-eight hours after the,y 
swarm will rarely cast, and the swarms having all been “ taken up ” 
in the fall the old stock hives the following season will be pro¬ 
ducing only the desired drones. After they swarm other virgin 
queens should again be dropped in as before, and these will 
probably be mated to the desired drones, thus the stock hives are 
likely to be all of pure race. Having made the question so plain 
and simple nothing remains now but for virgin queens to take their 
place along with fSrtile ones in the trade, and as I pointed out in 
this Journal for March 8th, page 206, they can,be bred, sold 
carriage paid, with safe delivery and introduction guaranteed by 
odd ones, at 2s. Gd. each, and yet yield a good profit to the breeder, 
and I hope to see it done in the coming season. 
In the issue just named (page 206, last paragraph) read “ new 
non-swarming system ” for “ new swarming system.”—A Hallam- 
SHiRE Bee-keeper. 
TR.ADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 
William Bull, Chelsea .—Illustrated Catalogue of New and Hare 
Plants. 
•a* All correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor” or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Dr. 
Hogg or members of the stafE often remain unopened un¬ 
avoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should 
never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended for insertion should be written on one side of 
the paper only. We cannot reply to questions through the 
post, and we do not undertake to return rejected communica¬ 
tions. 
Caterpillars (J. TV).—We have received the specimens, which 
shall be carefully examined, and information thereon published in an 
early issue of this Journal. 
Early Scented Tulips (./. i?.). — The varieties that are most 
scented are the Due van Thols, particularly the golden-yellow variety. 
Others have more or less an agreeable odour, but none are so pronounced 
in that respect as to be worth mention on that account. 
Earg-e Cineraria (Robt. Owen ').—We can only briefly allude to 
samples and letters that arrive as we are preparing for press. The bloom 
is very fine, 3| inches in diameter, and the florets five-eighths of an 
inch across. It is one of the largest that has come under our notice. 
Double Cinerarias {J. K. G .).—The variety is one of the double 
Cinerarias, of which there are several in cultivation much better in 
colour, and with larger blooms. It is, however, worthy of preservation, 
and will perhaps improve as it becomes stronger. 
Kidney Beans (X. B., Ely). — The seeds sent are those of the 
white Haricot Bean, which may be sown and treated the same as Scarlet 
Runners, early in May being soon enough for sowing. The dried beans 
are much usecl in cookery, and enjoyed by many persons. Their con¬ 
sumption is increasing in this country. 
IHCarecbal Niel Rose (X. 7X).—We have received the unsatisfac¬ 
tory samples of decaying bucls. It is a case of debility, notwithstanding 
the application of fertilisers, as we will explain more fully another week. 
At the present moment time and space are too limited for making the 
matter clear, and suggesting a method for reinvigorating the trees. 
Stacking Eoam (X. A'.).—It may be stacked in any convenient place 
out of doors, but not under or very near trees, or their roots would take 
possession of it and deprive the soil of much of its fertility. It is well 
to form the heap into a ridge to prevent its being saturated with rain in 
the winter. 
Cropping Apricot Tree (.7. E. E.). —The number of fruits to 
leave can only be determined by the condition of the tree. If strong 
and vigorous, a tree of the size of yours would perfect ten dozen fruits— 
possibly more with the aid of liquid manure and mulching over the roots 
to induce the free production of feeding roots near the surface. If the 
tree is only of moderate strength the crop would be excessive. 
Berberls Hedge (.17. C. /i.).—The Berberis would be the better 
cut down to a foot or 18 inches, and the earlier the better, so as to secure 
a good growth. It would be an advantage to apply a dressing of leaf 
soil or decayed manure either as a mulch on both sides or pointing in, 
but without injuring the roots. If there be anv weeds carefully remove 
them before applying the manurial matter. Go over it with the shears 
early in August for the removal of irregularities of growth. 
Teddlngton Garden (^Kilternan). —Mr. R. D. Blackmore has 
obliged us with the following particulars—The soil of my garden is a 
fairly strong loam, yellowish, and very binding in dry weather, but con¬ 
taining sand. The depth of loam is nowhere less than 3 feet, and more 
generally 4 feet to 4 feet 6 inches deep. Under this we have a greyish 
yellow gravel, tending to large flints in the lower stratum, and about 
6 feet ill depth. Then we come to grey sand, and the water level at 
10 to 12 feet from the surface. The well known De Jonghe of Brussels 
wrote that he had been struck with the fitness of this soil for Pears more 
than thirty years ago.” 
East Eothlan Stock (II'. S. S.). —To have East Lothian Stocls 
flower in early spring it is absolutely necessary that the plants are 
strong and at the point of showing flower in the end of October, so 
that under greenhouse treatment in winter the flowers will be ready to 
open in February and March. In order to accomplish this do not 
delay much longer before sowing. Prick out the seedlings at a very 
early stage, and grow on rapidly in open fairly rich soil, repotting as 
needed until pots 8 to 10 inches in diameter have been used. Never allow 
dryness at the roots even during winter. The new crimson white and 
purple are the best varieties. 
Auriculas (Young Reader ).—Soil composed of two parts or a little 
more of yellowish turfy loam of medium texture, that is neither very 
sandy nor very clayey, one part of cowdung dried and crumbled, one of 
leaf mould, and one part in equal portions of wood ashes, powdered 
lime rubbish and sand, will grow the plants well if they receive in other 
respects good attention. Avoid overpotting and overwatering imme¬ 
diately afterwards. They like shade in summer. We consider a frame 
preferable to a room window for wintering the plants. The same re¬ 
marks apply to Polyanthuses. It is contrary to our established rule to 
answer the other part of your question, for a reason that you ought to 
understand after a little reflection. 
Red Dead and Fbeasants (R. G. F.). —Red lead is injurious, in 
fact poisonous to pheasants if they partake of it, but we have not 
known a single instance of such occurring, though we have red-leaded 
Peas, Beans, and seeds liable to be taken by birds for many years, yet 
the birds (and we have counted over twenty pheasants in the garden 
at one time) never interfered with the seeds that had been red-leaded 
before sowing, whilst those not so treated were taken to the destruction 
of the crop. Sprinkling red lead on Peas after sowing is not likely to 
save them from being taken by pheasants or mice, and the birds or 
animals taking Peas so treated are very unlikely to be injured, as they 
will take the Peas without the lead. 
Fungus In Mushroom Bed (P. J).). —We fear it is not practi¬ 
cable to apply anything to the bed strong enough to destroy the fungus 
that infests it without destroying or seriously injuring the Mushroom 
spawn also. The manure must have contained spores of the invader, 
and possibly was not sufficiently heated during fermentation before 
making the bed. You might try experimentally a solution of salt at 
the strength of 2 ozs. and upwards to the gallon of water. Twice that 
quantity of salt has been used, but we advise you to proceed cautiously 
and note the effects on a portion of the bed before giving a general 
application. Perhaps some of the larger clumps of the noxious fungus 
could be dug out, and if it “ runs ” close to the surface of the bed 
this could be removed, afterwards casing with a mixture of loam and 
fresh cow manure. 
Economical Boilers (J. R. G .).—We cannot say, nor can anyone 
else, which is the “ best ” boiler. Possibly there is not a “ best ” for all 
houses and positions, while very much depends on fuel and management. 
For heating with coke alone up to 1000 feet of piping coil boilers are 
good, as are tubulars, which heat, according to size, any extent of piping. 
Where coal of a caking nature is used one of the many improved forms 
of the saddle boiler, in which all the heat from the fuel can be exhausted 
